Is it just me or is it easier to focus on the task at hand instead of the One who gave you the task in the first place?
Is it easier to focus on getting the task done than that of how the task is getting done?
Is it easier to to focus on how you look while doing the task, than doing the task to bring the One who gave it to you recognition.
The answer:
YES!
YES!!
And YES!!!
We do this often with things in everyday life, whether that is at work, school, volunteer work and basically any task that someone else asks us to do.
But what about the tasks that the Lord gives us? What about the task of daily life. Why are we doing the things we do?
These are all questions I had to ask myself within the past six months at CGA. And after much soul searching and some good conversations with good people it was confirmed that I am what most people actually are…a performer. We come in all shapes and sizes, but at the end of the day we all have some way that don’t exhibit authenticity and we live out of a place of performance. Ultimately we are often fake versions of ourselves.
If CGA taught me one thing, it would be to live a life as me, authentic me and serve a powerful God who made me a powerful person. For a purpose all his own, God gave me talents and gifts. He made unique to do a specific task on this earth. I think we each have things we are passionate about and want to pursue, I call them Jesus flames. The thing that gets your heart racing, the thing that makes you cry. The thing that either sets your heart ablaze or so sadly hurts your heart that you MUST do something about it. We each have these Jesus flames!!
Now let’s call them tasks.
Whether you feel that your task is big or small, let me tell you that each one is so important to the Kingdom of God.
Once you’ve been on your journey with Jesus for awhile and you’ve been at this task of living with the King of Kings, we start on this journey of finding our calling and the Jesus flame inside us. It’s incredible when you are walking with the Lord and are doing his work, but let me tell you that it is not easy to remember why you are doing the work and whom you are doing it for. I know I have been so focused on things like work and even ministry that I forgot who told me to work for him and not for men. Even if that means myself.
I have learned over the past few months that the best way I can keep myself from slipping back into being a performance driven person is by making my task at hand part the ultimate job God has for me –
TO LIVE WITH HIM!!
What! It couldn’t possibly be that simple.
But is it. The simplest thing is to live telling the simple truth of the gospel to everyone we meet. By loving others authentic selves. And letting ourselves be truly seen by others, knowing that we are made by a loving God who only ever wanted us to love Him back and worship and be with Him. By spending time with God and learning more about Him, and by surrounding myself with people who are close followers of Jesus I began to focus more on the God who called me to live this life instead of getting so caught up in the task at hand. I am able to do the things God has asked me to do only because I first focus on Him.
Someone recently told me that I was real. I was shocked as that is not something I get told often. But I realized that being real just meant that I was living my life authentically and giving glory to the one who made me to his will on his earth.
I want to encourage all of you today that the Lord had created you so unique, with special gifts and talents for a specific purpose! Spend time with that amazing God and learn more about him. Fall in love with Him and in the process, you will learn more about yourself and how to live in authenticity while doing the greatest task for the greatest God.
